U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,079, issued to Trageser on Feb. 8, 1983, describes a garden edging structure. The garden edging structure includes an inner continuous boundary or border that surrounds the garden plot and includes a lower ground engaging portion that anchors the same about the plot. Also included is an above-ground portion that tends to confine soil of an adjacent garden plot inwardly of the inner boundary. An outer boundary or border structure is also provided and associated with the inner boundary structure. While generally providing for a lawn edging system, Trageser fails to describe a modular system which enables pivotal connection of adjacent members.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,459 issued to Brylla et al. on Mar. 7, 1989, describes a lawn and garden edging that is L-shaped in cross section. The edging includes a leg inserted into the ground and a flange which rests upon the ground to impede plant growth under the flange. The device of Brylla also includes an upstanding retainer section joined to the junction of the leg and flange. The retainer section is described as being useful for retaining selected above-ground garden materials into desired areas. The flange of Brylla may be slit to permit bending into curved configurations. Thus, a user must slit or otherwise modify, but not pivot, the edging of Brylla to angularly join adjacent sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,776 issued to Fritch on May 23, 1989, describes an elongated landscape edging strip formed of a flexible material. The edging strip includes an upstanding retainer portion immediate and integral with a thin gauge, readily deformable mowing strip, and a thin gauge readily deformable anchoring strip. The edging apparatus of Fritch also includes C-shaped and insert connectors to join adjacent pieces. Corner sections are used to join pieces at corners. Thus, adjacent sections may not be pivotally joined.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,093 issued to Yanna on Jun. 19, 1990, describes landscape edging. The landscape edging comprises a generally planar member, an interior flange generally parallel to the plane of the member extending along a first portion thereof, and an exterior flange generally parallel to the plane of the member and extending along a second portion thereof. The member further includes a contiguous raised wall projecting generally perpendicular to the plane of the member, the wall being interposed between the interior and exterior flanges of the member and extending along the length of the member. The edging of Yanna is not modular, thus adjacent, pieces may not be pivotally joined.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,241, issued to Gavin on Sep. 17, 1991, describes a lawn edging apparatus. The lawn edging apparatus includes a first shield with a first J-shaped end mounted within a second J-shaped end of a second shield to permit relative pivoting of the first shield relative to the second shield. The J-shaped end of the second shield is of a complimentary configuration and is slidably receivable within the first J-shaped end. This particular apparatus is not modular. Thus, adjacent sections cannot be pivotally joined.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,092,076, issued to Terreta on Mar. 3, 1992, describes a planter edging landscaping system. A first embodiment of the planter edging landscaping system includes a planter wall edging member which may be installed along wall structures or the like to create a planter area as well as to provide an edging lip for ease of grass trimming or shearing. In a second embodiment, the planter edging landscaping system of Terreta includes a flexible wall structure which is combinable with an edging cap to create an edging system which is adaptable to varying terrain. As with the above-discussed patents, the edging members of Terreta cannot be pivotally adjoined.
Thus, there is a need for an edging system which includes a plurality of edging members joinable at varying angles and which suppress the growth of vegetation proximate a vertical surface of the edging when anchored in place.